HEADLINES

Armonty Bryant

Lions Set 53-Man Roster

September 2nd, 2017 at 4:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions have met the NFL’s 53-man maximum requirement by making the following transactions:

Traded:

Released:

Waived:

Suspended:

Placed on non-football injury list:

Placed physically unable to perform list:

Armonty Bryant Gets Four-Game Suspension

July 18th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL has suspended Lions defensive end Armonty Bryant four games for violating its substance abuse policy, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).

Armonty Bryant (vertical)

This is the third suspension in the past year for Bryant, notes Birkett, who suggests that it’s time for the Lions to cut bait on the soon-to-be 27-year-old. Detroit re-upped Bryant back in March, but as a minimum salary benefit deal with a meager $40K signing bonus, escaping the contract would be easy for the club.

Bryant, whom the Lions claimed off waivers from the Browns last October, appeared in just five games in 2016 (all with Detroit), but he did tally an impressive three sacks during his short campaign. In the best season of his four-year career, 2015, Bryant totaled 14 appearances and 5.5 sacks.

With Bryant at least temporarily out of the picture, the Lions look even thinner at defensive end behind starters Ezekiel Ansah and Kerry Hyder. They’re currently set to enter the season with Cornelius Washington, Anthony Zettel and late-round rookies Jeremiah Ledbetter and Pat O’Connor among their reserves at the position, as Roster Resource shows.

Lions Re-Sign Armonty Bryant

March 21st, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions have re-signed defensive end Armonty Bryant, the club announced today. It’s a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal that comes with a $40K signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.Armonty Bryant (vertical)

Detroit claimed Bryant off waivers from the Browns last October, but a knee injury and a four-game PED suspension ensured he only played in five games with the club. During that span, Bryant managed three sacks on just 104 defensive snaps. Still only 26 years old, Bryant will compete for time at defensive end on a Lions team that hasn’t yet re-signed 2016 starter Devin Taylor.

Under the terms of the minimum salary benefit, Bryant will only count for $655K on Detroit’s salary cap despite earning $855K.

Lions Sign RB Joique Bell

December 6th, 2016 at 2:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions announced that they have signed running back Joique Bell. At the same time, they have placed tight end Brandon Pettigrew on the physically unable to perform list and placed defensive end Armonty Bryant to injured reserve. Joique Bell (Vertical)

[RELATED: Lions Add CB Asa Jackson]

Bell has been on the open market since late October when the Bears released him. Bell, a sixth-year veteran who has spent the majority of his career with the NFC North rival Lions, appeared in four games for the Bears and totaled just three carries. Between his release from the Lions in February and his deal with Chicago, the 30-year-old sat on the open market for several months. Can he find success again with the Lions? That remains to be seen, but he won’t be counted on for as many carries this time around. He’ll now slot in as the team’s No. 4 RB behind Theo Riddick, Dwayne Washington, and Zach Zenner.

The Lions were hoping to get Brandon Pettigrew off of the PUP list and back on the field before the end of the season. Unfortunately, the big tight end couldn’t stay healthy. Detroit will have to make do without their best blocking TE for the rest of the month and – if they qualify – the playoffs.

Bryant was just activated after serving a three-game suspension. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury over the weekend. Bryant, 26, enjoyed something of a breakout season in 2015, racking up career-highs in sacks (5.5), tackles (40), and forced fumbles (two). In five games for Detroit this year, Bryant racked up five total tackles and three sacks.

In other Lions news, the team has plucked cornerback Asa Jackson from the Ravens.

Lions Cut Justin Forsett, Activate Armonty Bryant

December 3rd, 2016 at 3:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Justin Forsett‘s tenure with the Lions looks to be over after the team did not keep the veteran on its roster upon making multiple moves Saturday. The Lions cut Forsett and cornerback Johnthan Banks to make room for the activation of defensive end Armonty Bryant and wide receiver T.J. Jones, James Palmer of NFL.com reports (Twitter links).

This will send the 31-year-old Forsett to the waiver wire, where the ninth-year veteran could be viewed as a depth option for teams in need of ball-carriers. Prior to the trade deadline, Forsett’s vested-veteran status applied and he did not have to pass through waivers upon being released from the Ravens.

Forsett had not played in a game since October and has just 136 rushing yards (on 3.1 per carry) this season. This move doesn’t necessarily point to an Ameer Abdullah return, though, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Abdullah remains on IR, with Theo Riddick being the top backfield option.

The Lions claimed Banks on waivers from the Buccaneers last month and used the cornerback in two games. However, the former Bucs starter who saw his star fall in Tampa Bay could not make enough of a case to stay on the team. He, too, will be subject to the waiver process.

This marks Bryant’s second activation of the season — both by the Lions — with this latest transaction coming as a result of a three-game suspension the defensive end served. He served a four-game ban while a member of the Browns before Cleveland cut him, re-routing him to Detroit via waiver claim. Bryant has three sacks this season in four games as an off-the-bench cog for the first-place Lions.

T.J. Jones‘ promotion coincides with Marvin Jones‘ potential unavailability for Sunday’s game against the Saints. A thigh injury limited the Lions’ leading receiver in practice this week.

NFC Notes: Cousins, 49ers, Bears, Lions

December 2nd, 2016 at 7:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With a chance to collect upward of $58MM via the franchise tag over the next two offseasons, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins has plenty of incentive not to sign a contract extension, argues Adam Schefter of ESPN. If the Redskins do tag Cousins the next two years, as they did this season, they won’t be able to again after the 2018 campaign. Assuming Cousins continues the pace he has set since midway through last season, he would then have the rare opportunity to hit the open market as an established starting QB. Cousins is reportedly seeking nearly $24MM per year on a long-term deal, and Schefter adds that the Redskins would have to include guarantees in excess of the aforementioned $58MM to lock him up.

More from the NFC:

  • Currently amid a career-best season, 49ers contract-year tight end Vance McDonald is making a strong case that he’s worth re-signing, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. With 22 catches in nine games – all starts – the fourth-year man is on pace to easily eclipse the career-high 30 receptions he posted last season. McDonald has already found the end zone a personal-best four times, too, and is averaging a tremendous 17.4 yards per catch. “He’s one of our weapons on the offensive side of the ball and he runs better than most tight ends in this league,” head coach Chip Kelly said of McDonald, who’s on track to net a sizable raise over the roughly $800K salary he’s raking in this season.
  • The Bears entered this season needing to fully evaluate quarterback Jay Cutler, wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White, center Hroniss Grasu and cornerback Kyle Fuller, but they’re not going to emerge with clear answers on any of the quintet, opines John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Three of those players – Cutler, White and Grasu – have seen the field either barely or not at all this year and won’t suit up again in 2016; Fuller has been out all season with a knee issue, though it appears the Bears will activate him from injured reserve soon; and the best player of the group, Jeffery, is a free agent-to-be who’s currently serving a four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. Cutler, White, Grasu and Fuller are under team control through next season. However, it’s doubtful Cutler will return, as Mullin notes, and Fuller’s inability to play has been inopportune for a team that will have to decide on his fifth-year option for 2018 in the offseason. A breakout campaign from White could have made it easier for the Bears to wave goodbye to Jeffery, on whom they placed the franchise tag last offseason, but a fractured fibula limited White to just four appearances this year. The 2015 first-rounder didn’t see the field at all as a rookie because of a stress fracture in his leg.
  • When speaking Friday, Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah made it sound as though fellow DE Armonty Bryant will return from his three-game suspension Sunday in New Orleans. “We’re looking forward to what he’s going to do for us this week,” Ansah said (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). If Bryant is indeed coming back right away from his ban, Detroit will have to make a corresponding move to open up a roster spot for him.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Lions DE Armonty Bryant Suspended

November 1st, 2016 at 2:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions announced that defensive lineman Armonty Bryant has been hit with a three-game suspension. Bryant already served a four-game PED suspension to start the season, but this is a separate ban for a separate incident. 

Over the summer, Bryant pleaded guilty to an amended charge of attempted drug possession, a first-degree misdemeanor. He was originally charged with felony drug possession after he was caught with Adderall and Oxycodone. After serving 68 days of probation, he’ll now be sidelined from NFL action until next month.

The Browns surprised many when they cut Bryant on Oct. 3, the day he was slated to return from his first suspension. Cleveland brass didn’t feel that he was worth the headaches, but the Lions decided to roll the dice on him. Bryant, 26, enjoyed something of a breakout season in 2015, racking up career-highs in sacks (5.5), tackles (40), and forced fumbles (two). In four games for Detroit, Bryant racked up five total tackles and three sacks.

The Lions released a statement on Bryant moments ago:

“When we signed Armonty, we knew additional discipline from the NFL was a possibility due to an incident that occurred in 2015. Since joining our team, Armonty has met our expectations on and off the field.”

In related news, the Lions signed tight end Matthew Mulligan and placed fellow tight end Cole Wick on IR.

Lions Activate Armonty Bryant, Cut Aaron Dobson

October 8th, 2016 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Armonty Bryant will be in position to make his Lions debut Sunday after the team activated the suspended defensive end, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. As a result, Aaron Dobson‘s Detroit debut might never come after the Lions again made him a Saturday cut again.

Bryant missed the first four games this season due to a suspension that stemmed from his December 2015 arrest for possessing Adderall without a prescription. The Browns waived him earlier this week, re-routing Bryant to Detroit via waiver claim.

An outside linebacker in the Browns’ 3-4 scheme, Bryant played defensive end at Division II East Central (Okla.), so moving back to that role in the Lions’ 4-3 look might not be a big issue for the fourth-year player. He started just four games in his three years in Cleveland but is coming off a career-best campaign that included 5.5 sacks.

The Lions will be without reigning NFC sack leader Ziggy Ansah again on Sunday. Aside from Kerry Hyder‘s five sacks, the remainder of Detroit’s defensive front has just three.

Dobson may not have as easy a path back to the Lions as he did when the team waived him last month for temporary help. Bryant is expected to stay on the 53-man roster, so the former Patriots wide receiver could venture back onto the workout circuit where he resided in between being cut by New England after the preseason and signing with Detroit.

The Lions cut Dobson two weeks ago due to a depth issue at linebacker before re-signing him shortly after. He’s yet to be active for a game this season. Detroit also cut tackle Brian Mihalik, Caplan reports.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Claim Armonty Bryant

October 4th, 2016 at 4:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions announced that they have claimed Armonty Bryant off waivers from the Browns. Cleveland waived the defensive end earlier this week. Armonty Bryant

Bryant, 26, is slated to return from suspension this week. The Browns gave everyone in the football world a mild surprise by waiving the defensive lineman just before he was eligible to play. Coach Hue Jackson has spoken at length about prioritizing character and it’s possible that Bryant’s off-the-field indiscretions led to his release.

Bryant was arrested in December 2015 when he was found with Adderall but without a prescription. To make room for Bryant, Detroit placed fellow defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry on injured reserve.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

14 Players Returning From Suspension

October 3rd, 2016 at 7:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Fourteen players will return from four-game suspensions this week, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The most high-profile returnee, of course, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will re-join the 3-1 Patriots on Sunday against the Browns.

The following players have completed their suspensions:

The club that employs each player will receive a short roster exemption that ends the day following the team’s Week 5 game. that means the 49ers’ exemption for Lynch ends Friday, the Panthers’ exemption for Scott ends next Tuesday, and the rest end next Monday.

Sterup, meanwhile, was on the Chiefs’ practice squad when he was banned, but he hasn’t completed the PED reinstatement requirements, according to Balzer. So although he can sign with a new club, Sterup can’t practice or play until he’s approved by the league.

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